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After about 4-5 years we are starting to see a rise in prices again. It's nice if it can be attributed directly to some thing such as job growth or a large number of military members coming in, but it seems as though it's solely buyer confidence.

Lending restrictions have started to ease up as well, but it's still much more of a process to get qualified than it used to be. If things can be directly attributed to something specific it's easy to tell how long rising prices might last.

Unfortunately when there is no direct cause it's easy for sellers to just get on board to try to catch the wave of buyers driving prices up. What I would expect to happen is by the end of summer everyone has their home on the market which will cause an oversupply and drive prices back down.

Our market here in Colorado Springs does fluctuate, but for right now it's hard to say how long the rising prices will last. I believe it will last as long as inventory doesn't grow faster than demand. Changes in interest rates will affect buyer thinking as well.

"Based on information from the Pikes Peak REALTOR Services Corp. ("RSC"), for the period 1/1/2012 through 12/31/2012. RSC does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by RSC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market."

"Based on information from the Pikes Peak REALTOR Services Corp. ("RSC"), for the period 10/1/2012 through 12/31/2012. RSC does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by RSC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market."

"Based on information from the Pikes Peak REALTOR Services Corp. ("RSC"), for the period 12/1/2012 through 12/31/2012. RSC does not guarantee or is in any way responsible for its accuracy. Data maintained by RSC may not reflect all real estate activity in the market."

Home shopping is a lot easier than it used to be. Can you imagine asking your Realtor to look through a book with black and white listings to see a picture of a home that might meet your criteria?

Now, you can do it yourself if you choose. Home shopping online is something many people enjoy doing, just because you can do it with some privacy and at your own leisure. Some people start looking a year or more ahead of time!

You can use sites like Realtor.com, Zillow or Trulia (keep in mind these sites are not what they seem), use the MLS or a Realtor provided portal, or just an IDX page that a Realtor has. It's easy to save listings, rate them, etc. and share that with your Realtor.

It's very enjoyable for us to discuss listings with people because it really opens up options and causes creative thinking. It's more productive when all sides can see the information and pictures when discussing how to proceed with showings. It's just like planning a trip.